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Now that we know that, does anyone know how to get a copy of the current Salarios Minimos. Tha last one I have is from January 2010.
[quote=”Scott”]Do we know if that payment includes the other employer contributions though? The CAJA etc?[/quote]
Since the Ministry de Trabajo is difficult for me to get through with my limited Spanish I cannot say definitively.
I have to asssume that those wages go to the employee and the Caja, etc. is beyond that.
In speaking to Marcos who is a bank messenger, his employer deducts 5% of his pay for Caja. Any other taxes are paid by the employer. That should be standard for Costa Rica and applies to full time permanent employees.
[quote=”Ms. Betty”]Was wondering what the average daily wage is for a worker these days? I know there are two separate ones…one for the head and one for his workers? Can anyone give me a ballpark figure?
Thanks.[/quote]
The worker (Calificado) was 7,882 per day as of last January 1
The Lead man (Especializado) was 9,204 as of January 1I believe you need to add 5% for the semi-aanual increase in June. Someone may have definitive information on the June increase.
[quote=”alexander69″]
A blood test? For?????[/quote]Blood typing.
If you get in an accident your blood type is printed on your drivers lisence.Mine is RHA negative.
You don’t know what’s involved in the lisencing process?
[quote=”ticorealtor”]My question is how many people have used a lawyer for the process? I am taking a quick survey to see how much people have spent and who they used.
In the family biz there is about 3 to 4 gringos a day that come to get the physicals and process done. It is interesting to see the prices people have been charged with lawyers. We have seen up to 200 dollars.[/quote]
For a driver’s license? You have to be kidding!
12,000 colones for the blood test at any lab.
10,000 colones for the driver’s license at COSEVI in Uruca.Total cost: 22,000 colones
Sshh, a little secret…they speak English at labs and COSEVI
[quote=”sprite”] I do not recall what the average middle class Tico household income is but I doubt very much it is too much over $2800 per month. I believe I read an article Scott published here with figures for middle class between $1100 and $2800 per month.
Add up the difference between the costs listed above and what one pays for these things in CR and you have a difference of many, many of thousands of dollars.[/quote]
As per normal we are abnormal but I can tell you a little about our household and the costs.
We own a harge American style home and are mortgage free.
There is a Tico family of nine that lives in house with us.With seven kids in house as you can imagine the utilities are higher than normal,gas, electric water,
average 140,000 or $280.00Food & house supplies (Our diet is Tico cuisine)
Average 260,000 or $520.00
Total – $800.00 of which the family pays $440.00
Our cost for utilities, food and household supplies is about $360.00.
In many areas around the Central valley American style accomodations can be rented for $400 to $600 per month.Gasoline runs about $5.20 per gallon
I also pay property taxes of approximately 175,000 or $1,500 per year. This can be paid quarterly but there is a charge of about $10.00 per quarter.
So you can see that it is easily possible for two to live on about $1,000 per month if you make a few changes.
I’m sure others can add to anything I have missed.
[quote=”Jim S.”]Although some expats apparently have managed to live cheaply in CR, my experience has been that I don’t live much more cheaply here than in the US. I guess a lot depends on your lifestyle. For my family of five, our living expenses run about $4,000 per month. Yes, we could live on less but would have to make significant changes in our lifestyle.[/quote]
Ahh, lifestyle. What a concept.
If you require “cosas Americana” you will find that the cost is approximately the same as you would pay in the States.If you can accommodate the local cuisine as we have the cost of food and meals is extremely reasonable.
The local diet consiste of:
lots of rice and beans
smaller amounts of meat, generally chicken and pork
lots of fruits and vegetables
(stay away from the local beef. It lacks fat which generally is what gives beef it’s flavor and is tougher than I like and is relatively expensive)I am totally in love with the local diet. It is far healthier than that in the U.S. I went from a fat 185 to alean 149 during our first year here. Some due to stress but I eat all that I want and am maintaing that lower weight.
Eating out? We generally prefer the local sodas (small eating establishments) and restaurants. The cost can run from the equivalent of $10.00 to $20.00 for two.
[quote=”sandymae”] We chose an international insurance that “saved our bacon” when my husband got sick. Medical care is not cheap. The national coverage is great if you have time on your hands. The private hospitals are full of nationals who have opted to pay out of pocket to get the needed service that they might have to wait a year to receive.
As already mentioned $1,700 is tight but doable but be sure to factor in realistic expenses. No, Medicare does not cover you in CR.[/quote]The new law requires you to obtain the national health care (Caja) before you apply for your residency. My wife and I never considered any other option and the cost for us is about $95 per month. Comparing that to the cost of medical insurance makes it extremely reasonable.
You will hear a vatriety of responses regarding the national health care system. Most complaints are:
1 – about the length of time required for attention from those who still have the need for instant gratification.
In our experience waiting times are reasonable but we have learned that there are times during the day when lines are either non-existent or not long when obtaining prescriptions and medical tests.
Doctor appointments are sceduled “in batches” and you may find as many as 5 or 6 patients schesduled at a certain hour but the elderly are accomodated ahead of others with the exception of emergencies.2 – Hospital stays are with minimal ameneties. 😯 Every patient supplies their own personal needs. This is intended to keep the cost of socialized medicine to a minimum and I believe is reasonable.
You get a bed and a sheet but if you need more warmth you supply the blanket. Other items that you supply: pillows, soap, towel, wash cloth & soap, toilet paper, entertainment (music, reading, etc).All in all the care is excellent. I have not found a doctor yet who cannot communicate in English. Nurses and aids as a rule do not speak English but some do and if it is required for communication someone will be found who can assist. Doctors who are educated at the University of Costa Rica are taught in English and generally intern in the U.S. Many others are educated and intern in the U.S.
My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer and and is now cancer free. She was admitted for surgery within three weeks with a one week stay in hospital. Care was excellent and her follow-up care has been excellent and intense with 33 sessions of radiation therapy and at least monthly appointments with her doctor.
She also suffers from diabetes with the attendant neuopathy, fibromyalgia and out of control triglycerides all of which are treated with excellent care and medications (generic) are at no cost. Medications that have no generic equivalent are generally not available through the health care system but can be purchased at the pharmacies which are everywhere.
Needless to say we are very satisfied with the health care system (Caja).:D
[quote=”costaricafinca”]I think the problem is with the quality of paint used on the walls… rather than the geckos ‘mess’.[/quote]
I have to agree with CRF. having spent 33 years as a painter I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in the quality of paints.
A top quality Eggshell, Semi-gloss or high gloss paint should be washable and the acids shouldn’t penetrate after 30 days.
[quote=”hasselwander”] Borrowing its war plan against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua from Ronald Reagan, George H W Bush, and Oliver North, the Obama administration has given a green light to two neighbors of Nicaragua — Costa Rica and Honduras — to ratchet up tensions on their borders with Nicaragua.[/quote]
No citation equals unfounded hearsay.
[quote=”sprite”] I have no idea what date it was taken but it has proved helpful to me.[/quote]
When you are using Google Earth, look down at the lower left, the date there tells you when it was updated. Ours, Ciudad Colon, is April 9, 2009
[quote=”mpgyacht”] If you have a medical marijuana card in California which everybody does you are allowed to grow a small amount for personal use. The reason the legalization did not pass is because everyone is already smoking legally.[/quote]
Then there are those of us who left California before medical marijuana was legal.
My wife suffers fron Fibromyalgia and Diabetes with Neuropathy. Her doctor recommended Marijuana before it was legal.[quote=”sprite”] There is absolutely nothing fair minded individuals can do to stop or even hinder the U.S. and corporate juggernaut.
It is always heartening to come across other North Americans who do not support the flag waving, bible thumping fanatics.[/quote]
The Project for a New American Century was organized in the spring of 1976 and carried much influence in the Reagan and both Bush administrations.
In going through the PNAC web site you find the names of individuals that were within the Bush2 administration or advisors to same.
This is an untra-conservative, Fascist (not National Socialist) type of organization created with the sole purpose of promoting world domination by the U.S. tyhey will use every persuasion available beginning with assistance and cooperation and, if necessary, run the gamut of options to the ultimate persuasion of military action.Future presidents must either support or reject the goals of PNAC but if their decision is to rehect you can see what opposition they will face.
Coming out of this recession the U.S. will no longer be the economic power that it once was and it does not have the military capacity to win unilaterlly against the guerilla type actions that it is facing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The current Republican Party leadership does not comprehend that neither they nor the Tea Party drives the conservative movement.
[quote=”sprite”]It may be that their task is merely to make their presence felt…strike a pose of might and power in a tiny little country with no army in order to remind all who has the big guns. Bullies don’t usually need to do any physical harm to get their way.[/quote]
I haven’t hears a lot about what they did do. Nothing as far as drug interdiction apparently. Did they provide any humanitarian service that would not have been done in any case?
[quote=”Angelina”]U.S. is the very good country and every country is doing good & bad work as per the situations and even US has done the same over all its a nice country which work hard when it comes to maintaining the relationship with the countries.[/quote]
It might pay to look at the web site [url=http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm]Statement of Pronciples[/url] for the Project for a New American Century to discover exactly what the U.S. has in mind for the world.
Look particularly at the signatures at the bottom to see who supports American domination.
